Just started Learning all the Time by John Holt
melissa4123
I know I'm probably one of the few people on this list who hasn't yet
read a book by John Holt. I just started reading Learning all the
Time and what an amzing book!
I usually only have time to read when I'm riding my bike in the
mornings (stationary bike). I ride for an hour a day and that's when
I get caught up on my reading. I'm usually so tired when I get done
that I just want it to be over. Well, this morning, I started reading
Learning all the Time and, before I knew it, 75 minutes had gone by!
I couldn't believe how much I related to this book. I grew up in
public schools and, everything that he said about the "learning" that
goes on in them is true. I never really learned anything. I would
memorize it for the test and then quickly forget everything that I had
"learned." The only thing that I have retained from school is only
those things which I really wanted to know about and went so far as to
reseach on my own time.
The things that he points out about how children are taught to read in
the public schools and how absurd some of the phonics "rules" are, are
so true. I remember, when I was learning to read, how they just
didn't make any sense. And the same with math "rules." I remember
asking a teacher once (in my highschool trig class) "but why is that?"
He just looked at me and said, "I don't know, it just is." Gee that
really helped me to figure it out. :) I never asked that question
again.
Anyway, I am now even more excited about unschooling than I was
before. I can't wait to watch my daughter learn on her own (with help
from me, if asked) those things that I struggled with as a child in
the public school system. I can't wait to give this book to my
husband to read, maybe he'll now understand what I mean when I say
"unschooling."
Melissa
read a book by John Holt. I just started reading Learning all the
Time and what an amzing book!
I usually only have time to read when I'm riding my bike in the
mornings (stationary bike). I ride for an hour a day and that's when
I get caught up on my reading. I'm usually so tired when I get done
that I just want it to be over. Well, this morning, I started reading
Learning all the Time and, before I knew it, 75 minutes had gone by!
I couldn't believe how much I related to this book. I grew up in
public schools and, everything that he said about the "learning" that
goes on in them is true. I never really learned anything. I would
memorize it for the test and then quickly forget everything that I had
"learned." The only thing that I have retained from school is only
those things which I really wanted to know about and went so far as to
reseach on my own time.
The things that he points out about how children are taught to read in
the public schools and how absurd some of the phonics "rules" are, are
so true. I remember, when I was learning to read, how they just
didn't make any sense. And the same with math "rules." I remember
asking a teacher once (in my highschool trig class) "but why is that?"
He just looked at me and said, "I don't know, it just is." Gee that
really helped me to figure it out. :) I never asked that question
again.
Anyway, I am now even more excited about unschooling than I was
before. I can't wait to watch my daughter learn on her own (with help
from me, if asked) those things that I struggled with as a child in
the public school system. I can't wait to give this book to my
husband to read, maybe he'll now understand what I mean when I say
"unschooling."
Melissa